Lutfur Rahman became the first directly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets in controversial circumstances. Initially selected by the Labour Party as its preferred candidate, he was later removed by the party’s National Executive Committee following allegations that he had connections with the Islamic Forum of Europe. He eventually stood for Mayor as an independent candidate, backed by the Respect Party. He won with over 51% of the vote and subsequently announced that he would make housing his number one priority as Mayor.
Why have you made housing your top priority for Tower Hamlets?
As a long term resident of Tower Hamlets I have seen the debilitating affect poor housing has on residents. When you consider that the borough has more than 22,000 people on its housing register, and over 41% of those people live in overcrowded housing, there are clearly significant issues to address.
However, increasing the supply of housing is only one side of the coin; I am also committed to improving the quality of housing. We recently placed a bid to the HCA for the funding we need to bring our homes up to Decent Homes standard over the next five years. Despite the improvements we have already made, an enormous task lies ahead as more than 50% of the housing stock still remains non-decent. I strongly feel that residents are entitled to expect their home to be warm, safe and secure with modern amenities.
The Localism Bill has proposed some profound changes to all elements of housing, changes that will impact not only on this borough but across the entire country for years to come. It is important to me that the borough and its residents are fully prepared for these changes and that we understand there will be both positive and negative effects. Tower Hamlets is a borough of extremes; on the one hand it houses the financial centre Canary Wharf, on the other, it is also home to some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country. Within this context I must ensure that the changes proposed by the Government do not impact unfairly on those most in need.
That said, we have a good record of delivery, we delivered over 1,000 new homes last year, many of them affordable, and the regeneration of the Ocean Estate and the notorious Robin Hood Gardens will bring thousands more.
What impact will the changes to housing benefit have on your residents?
The changes could have a profound impact across the borough and across all housing tenures. Affordability causes me the most concern, as it is likely that the caps will force people to look for housing in the most affordable areas of the borough or could force them out of the borough all together, separating them from their families and communities.
The proposed funding regime for new housing to be built at 80% of market rents will put our residents in a difficult position as market rents are high in Tower Hamlets. I will be seeking every opportunity to ensure that new units in Tower Hamlets are kept to target rents. This will mean working smartly with our partners and maximising the benefits from the council’s resources.
The extension of the single room rate to all single people under 35 may well increase the numbers of private rented homes occupied by sharers which in turn could reduce the number properties which meet the needs of families. I intend to work to ensure the availability of housing that meets all our residents’ needs, both families and single people. It is a particular priority of mine to reduce the number of families living in overcrowded conditions as overcrowding impacts on tenants not only in their living conditions but also has far reaching effects in areas such as education and health.
Do you fear the ‘ghettoisation’ of Tower Hamlets as a result?
This is an over-emotive term; I am committed to ensuring that Tower Hamlets remains a diverse community, in keeping with the best traditions of east London, and continues to develop sustainable communities in which people thrive. However the upcoming changes to rent regimes and benefits, and the move from fixed to flexible tenancies, will have a major impact. I do fear a situation where over time, poor people, and that includes the many families who are in low paid occupations, will increasingly only be able to afford to live in certain parts of the borough, or will be forced to move out altogether to cheaper rent areas. This cannot be good for a healthy cohesive community and is certainly not my vision for One Tower Hamlets.
As Mayor, what influence can you have over addressing the social housing shortages in the borough?
I will be making sure that the council uses its powers to maximum effect. Tower Hamlets is a relatively small borough, but in recent years it has delivered more new homes for its residents than any other borough in the country. Despite the current financial circumstances I will ensure this continues as best it can. We have a strong track record of using our resources wisely to facilitate regeneration and I want to look at new schemes and partnerships that will allow us to keep improving. The Borough Investment Plan includes a lot of development opportunities and I will work hard with stakeholders such as the HCA, housing associations and development partners to ensure we continue to provide the type of housing the borough needs.
Does Boris Johnson wield too much power when it comes to housing?
I believe that local people know what is best for their communities and it is right that they have a say in the decisions that affect their communities. As the elected local Mayor my role is to develop and deliver housing polices which meet local needs and make sure that we deliver the quality of housing that residents deserve. Having said that, London is a wide community and it is right that the Mayor of London takes an overview of housing to fight the case for more resources and better housing for London as a whole. The current Mayor has signalled that the GLA would like to devolve more power on decision-making about housing development to the boroughs. I am supportive of that and will continue to press him to support my housing vision for Tower Hamlets.
Are you happy with the local government finance settlement for Tower Hamlets recently announced by Eric Pickles?
I’m not happy at all. The scale of the cuts is unprecedented in our times and deprived boroughs like Tower Hamlets are losing a larger proportion of funding than other areas. Over the last few months, my team and I have worked hard to put together a budget that aims to soften the blow for the most vulnerable and protect front-line services. As Mayor it is my job to defend the community, but there’s no doubt that there are challenging times ahead, not just in Tower Hamlets, but across the country.